![]() ![]() Sympathomimetics, which help treat heart failure or sepsis.Pilocarpine, which is eye drops or gels that treat glaucoma.Oral pilocarpine, which treats dry mouth or damaged saliva glands due to head and neck cancer treatment, or Sjogren’s Syndrome.Anticholinergics, a class of medication for conditions including:.MedicationsĬertain medications can also cause pupils to be different sizes. It is not a life-threatening condition.Ībout 90% of cases occur in women between 20 and 40 years of age.Īlthough usually not harmful, having a tonic pupil may lead to someone becoming miotic, or chronically having a small pupil. Tonic pupil is where one pupil will appear abnormally large in light, taking a long time to constrict. little or no sweating on that side of the face.They will also have all or some of the following symptoms: People with Horner’s syndrome have one abnormally small pupil. An aneurysm causes pain and is a life-threatening condition that needs immediate attention. TNP can be due to pressure on the third nerve from an artery aneurysm. However, some cases of TNP in children are congenital, meaning they occur from birth. Other causes of TNP in children include migraine and severe infections, such as meningitis. potential loss of ability to focus on objects.abnormalities in the muscles around the eye.slight drooping of the eyelid, known as ptosis.Anyone experiencing symptoms after a head injury must see a doctor.Īside from the pupils being different sizes, other symptoms of TNP include: Third nerve palsy (TNP) can cause the pupils to be different sizes.Ĭauses of TNP include a brain hemorrhage, trauma, or aneurysm. Share on Pinterest Third nerve palsy or Horner’s syndrome may cause anisocoria. a disease affecting the information pathways to the pupil.a disease affecting the iris, or colored area.Pathological anisocoria: This type is when the difference in pupil size comes from one of the following: Mechanical anisocoria: This type of anisocoria is the result of physical damage to the eye, such as an injury or a condition that causes inflammation to the eye. The difference between the pupil sizes is more or less constant, even when the light changes, and is not usually of concern. Physiological anisocoria may be temporary or permanent, depending on individual cases.Ībout 15–30% of the population experiences physiological anisocoria. It is the most common type of anisocoria, and the difference between the pupil sizes is no more than 1 millimeter. Physiological anisocoria: This is when the pupils are naturally different sizes. For physiologic anisocoria, no treatment is needed.Share on Pinterest Physiological anisocoria is the most common type of anisocoria. Treatment depends on identifying and addressing the underlying problem. Neuroimaging with MRI (occasionally CT) depending on the person’s history and what is found on neuro-ophthalmic and neurologic examinations. Taking a careful history of symptoms, noting when they started and what other problems may be present.Ĭhecking the ability of each pupil to constrict in the presence of bright light and to dilate in the darkness. If the problem is new, the doctor will then focus on which pupil is responding differently. When a doctor sees a patient for uneven pupil size, the first concern is to determine whether the unevenness is new or long-standing. Reaction to certain topical dilating medications (such as a pet’s eye drops, or anti-nausea or motion sickness patches such as scopolamine) that may accidentally get into one eye. This may be due to a brain aneurysm, and should be urgently evaluated in the emergency room. On the other hand, a person whose pupils are uneven when they were normal before may be experiencing a serious problem such as:Ī torn or blocked blood vessel in the neck (usually the result of head or neck trauma), which could cause a mildly droopy eyelid on the side of the smaller pupil.Ī third nerve palsy can result in the inability to move the affected eye normally, in addition to eyelid drooping (which is often significant) on the side of the larger pupil. In these cases, there are no other symptoms and both of the person’s pupils react to changes in light. This is called “physiologic anisocoria” and is normal. Slight differences between the two pupils may be present in up to 20 percent of people. This is to rule out eye conditions such as acute angle closure glaucoma or inflammation of the front part of the eye (uveitis or iritis). More often than not, it is pointed out to the person by someone close to them.Īn ophthalmologist should be seen to rule out ocular causes of eye pain and pupil asymmetry, especially when vision loss or changes, redness or discharge from the eye(s) is present. Uneven pupil size may be noticed by the person or by a health professional during an examination. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |